While not an art form that everyone can do, animation is a very beautiful modern art. Some famous films in modern times use a lot of animation or even fully animation. The world of animation is always looking for skilled people who can create great animation, and that person could be you. So start practicing if you're really interested. Animation has many types to choose from. In this article you'll find out how to create your own animation, as well as what skills you'll need to become a great animator.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Basics of Traditional Animation
Step 1. Create the script first
First, write down the events you want to depict and show them in your animation. This is not just writing dialogue, but also expressions and gestures that occur. You need to know exactly what's going on in your animation before you start creating it.
Step 2. Create a storyboard
Storyboards are multiple images that show important events or actions in your animation. This storyboard will give you an overview of the content and form of your animation, and will look like a comic book when viewed individually.
Step 3. Create illustrations and character models
When you start drawing frames, you will need a basic model or illustration that becomes a reference so that the character model you draw from one frame to another remains consistent. Draw your character with a variety of angles and expressions. You'll also need to draw along with the clothes, and if your character changes clothes in the middle of the animation, you'll need to draw your character in a different outfit.
Step 4. Sketch the animation
This sketch will show key movement in one frame. This sketch will often look like five similar drawings that are superimposed on each other. But it's done to ensure that your keyframes are precise and that the motion in your animation looks natural.
Step 5. Draw the key frame
Keyframes are important points or positions in a movement made by a character. For example, if you want your character to turn from left to right, then the keyframe should show your character facing left, then facing the front or camera, then facing right.
Step 6. Check the flow of the movement
Check how smooth your movement is by flipping the keyframe from one frame to the next several times.
Step 7. Complete the movement between keyframes
Once you feel that your keyframes are fine, it's time to draw movement between them. So, start drawing frames to fit between one keyframe and another, then create an image to fit between one keyframe and the one you just created. Keep repeating until you feel you have enough frames to illustrate the movement you're making (the number of frames you create depends on the purpose of the animation and the movement you're making).
Step 8. Check the flow again
Yes, you should always make sure the grooves are smooth and natural.
Step 9. Trim the image
Remove all sketch lines and all unnecessary lines that interfere with the appearance of your animation. You may also need to thicken your frames, depending on your purpose for creating this animation.
Step 10. Process your animation
Enter all of the images into a computer program such as Photoshop to begin the final stages of creating animation. Once the animation is complete, you can add it to your portfolio or show it to your friends and family.
Part 2 of 3: Experimenting with Other Making Styles
Step 1. Using the corner of the book page
Animating using the corners of a book is a great way for beginners who want to learn to animate. This method is very easy and can be done by anyone. Apart from that, the result is actually quite good because it shows how traditional animation actually works.
Step 2. Create a stop-motion animation
Stop-motion animation is animation that is created by taking pictures or photos of various physical objects and sorting them just like normal animation. There are many ways to create stop-motion animation, and some of the most common include using scraps of paper, or clay.
Step 3. Create an animated gif
Gifs are the most popular medium used to create short animations, and nowadays they are seen a lot on the internet. You can create your own animated gifs very easily, because all you need is a computer and know how to use some software.-g.webp
Step 4. Create an animation using a computer
You can also do standard computer animations. But keep in mind that this method can be very difficult and can take years to master. There are several methods of creating animation with a computer, including:
- 2D animation. You can do this at home using a program like Anime Studio, or Adobe Flash animations.
- 3D animation. This method is even more difficult because you will have to use a computer that is powerful enough to process the 3D animation. If your computer is powerful enough try building one using basic software like Smith Micro's Poser.
Step 5. Try the machinima
Machinima is an animation that uses an existing computer model image. Animations with this method are usually created using video games. Machinima is a fairly easy method for beginners to learn and can give you some basic knowledge of animation.
Part 3 of 3: Improving Your Animation Quality
Step 1. Do your research
Doing research before creating something is something that can never go wrong. Read and learn some animation techniques and how to make good animations before getting serious about animation. A great first lesson is the 12 basic principles of animation from the Old Men at Disney.
Step 2. Learn how to make a great story
The quality of your animation will be tolerable if the story you show in it is good. Write a good story script that wows people, that way they'll probably understand the flaws in your animation.
Step 3. Learn facial expressions
Animation will be very good if the audience feels the emotions shown by the characters. This can easily happen if your character makes a face that conveys exactly the emotions you want, and doesn't just show a flat, static face. Practice drawing expressions on faces. In addition, you also need to focus on movement when someone's emotions change.
Step 4. Learn the squash and stretch method
One way to make even basic animations look more interesting is to make them look dynamic and real. This can be realized through a process called squash and stretch. This process is when you create an exaggerated image of a movement to make the audience see it as something real. For example, when you animate a ball bouncing or dropping, it would be more interesting if you depicted the ball as flattened to the floor rather than sticking to its round shape. This will allow the audience to really feel the movement the ball is making.
Step 5. Learn color theory
Color theory is the idea of what colors look good paired with other colors, and how colors can be used to convey stories or emotions. Understanding color theory is essential to making your animations look professional and attractive. If you want to be serious about animation, then you need to understand at least the basics of color theory.
Step 6. Learn composition
Composition is a lesson that deals with how an image should be drawn on a canvas or screen to make it look good and draw the viewer's attention to an important point. Composition is also very important to make the audience understand the content of your animation. Learn the basics of composition theory.
Step 7. Learn perspective and 3D shapes
When you see a ball, you can't see it and draw it as a circle. Even though 2D and 3D animation are technically flat (the human eye cannot see depth unless the animation is truly 3D and uses complementary tools), our brains will really like an image if it has a real level of depth. In other words, if you want your animation to look good, you need to give the objects a good amount of depth to the objects you draw.
Step 8. Study anatomy
Cartoons certainly show how people and objects are depicted in a different form than the real world. Ordinary women can't have joints like Jessica Rabbit. But understanding how the human body works and moves can make your animations better and look more natural. Studying anatomy also makes a person more skilled at drawing.
Step 9. Take the course
Lastly, don't forget that you can learn more about animation by learning from someone who is an expert. There are courses out there you can take, or maybe you can ask a friend who is an animation expert to teach you. You can also study online for free or at a much lower cost than taking a course. If you like animation, then you have to get serious about it and be willing to put the time and resources into it.
Tips
- Take practice seriously. Animation is not a skill that can be mastered overnight or by reading a book. You need to dedicate your time to learning to animate well.
- If you decide to animate with a computer, use flash or photoshop.
